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Fuerteventura

To the east of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura is a little slice of paradise blessed with white sandy beaches and turquoise waters. Already a firm favourite with windsurfers and other wind chasers, the ‘red island’ intrigues visitors with its arid moonscape and endless dunes. Visitors can’t help but fall for this simple, rugged beauty, lapped by the warm waters of the Atlantic.

The second largest of the Canary Islands, Fuerteventura sits 93km offshore from the African mainland. This location explains the arid landscape and sand dunes, but also the near-guaranteed sunshine and pleasant summer temperatures of no more than 27°C. This climate is governed by the Sirocco, a warm easterly wind originating in the Sahara. It is the Sirocco which helped make the island famous, bringing it to the attention of surfers, windsurfers and kite-sport enthusiasts. Fuerteventura owes its name (literally: “great adventure”) to the 15th-century French explorer Jean de Béthencourt. But the island is now a well-established tourist resort, with superb hotel facilities and an international airport located five kilometres from the capital, Puerto del Rosario.

And in Fuerteventura water sports reign supreme! The island was identified early on as a paradise for windsurfers, and now hosts a stage of the world tour every year. Not far behind were the surfers and kite-surfers, keen to explore the island’s many spots. Other popular activities include sea angling and scuba diving, as the waters around the island boast a wonderful array of marine life. And if sunbathing and the occasional dip in warm, crystal-clear waters are more your style, you’ll love Fuerteventura’s 150 beaches! The famous beach at El Cofete is 14 kilometres in length! The island is also home to three nature reserves, including the sand dunes of Corralejo. Exotic scenery, guaranteed sunshine, breathtaking landscapes: choose Fuerteventura for… a great adventure!